Publicis Groupe has officially acquired Captiv8, a leading end-to-end influencer marketing platform, in a move that significantly expands its capabilities in the creator economy. The deal positions Publicis as a frontrunner in data-driven influencer marketing, with plans to integrate Captiv8 into its Connected Media division alongside Influential.
Captiv8—recognized by G2 as the top-ranked Enterprise Influencer Platform—brings a suite of advanced tools to the table. These include AI-powered campaign automation, social listening, commerce-enabled storefronts, and a unified data architecture. Currently active in over 120 countries and processing more than 2.5 billion social posts annually, Captiv8 provides global scalability with localized execution.
Once integrated, Captiv8 and Influential will form a comprehensive influencer ecosystem that gives brands access to over 15 million creators—covering 95% of influencers with more than 5,000 followers. Enhanced by Epsilon’s CoreID technology, the platform will enable clients to track full-funnel performance from influencer content through to conversion, all while managing campaigns across regions and platforms seamlessly.
Arthur Sadoun, Global CEO of Publicis Groupe, emphasized the strategic value of the acquisition:
“Through this acquisition, we are further reinforcing our Category of One, building the world’s most powerful influencer platform by connecting the scale and service of Influential with Captiv8’s unrivalled technology, grounded in Epsilon’s connected identity. As we continue to invest in the products and services that drive true differentiation for our clients and ourselves, I’m thrilled to welcome Krishna and the Captiv8 teams to the Publicis family.”
Captiv8’s co-founder and CEO, Krishna Subramanian, highlighted the vision behind the partnership:
“Captiv8 was built to unify the fragmented creator economy – turning influence into a commerce engine that drives real ROI. Publicis Groupe shares that vision for a fully connected, data-powered future. Together, we’re not just scaling creator marketing, we’re transforming it into a global growth channel that delivers measurable impact from first impression to final purchase.”
Ryan Detert, CEO of Influential, expressed excitement about the combined potential:
“We look forward to combining the power of Captiv8’s award-winning influencer platform with Influential and providing best-in-class capabilities to all of our clients. As two leaders in the influencer marketing space, together, we bring unrivaled expertise, innovation, and transformation for our clients. We’re excited to collaborate with Krishna and Sunil to co-author the future of global influencer marketing at Publicis.”
The integration marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of influencer marketing—from fragmented content strategies to unified, data-driven commerce platforms designed for performance at scale.
Read more: ‘From Code To Commerce: Growth In The AI Age’
